The day didn't start out very well, considering his 14th position but, in pre-qualifying, Johann Zarco got back on track and managed to leave everyone behind him, except Marc Marquez. It was a respectable start for Johann who, in his analysis on Friday in Brno, expressed all his confidence for the Sprint and Sunday's race.
"It's always good to make sure you get into the Q2. I knew that, with the rain, I'd have a chance, and I'm glad I made the most of it. I was afraid that the track would dry out quickly and I would've had to change to slicks to set the time. But, luckily, that wasn't the case, although, in the end, it was really impossible to improve with the drier surface. I made the attempt with about twenty minutes to go," he said, satisfied.
In the morning, the French rider was able to test the behavior of his RC213 V in dry conditions, getting good references. "It was good to be able to ride in these conditions, because this circuit has a particular structure that's not easy to understand. But I think that, with a good set-up and a good control of the bike in entering corners, we can bring home a good result," he continued, optimistically.
Saturday morning's work will be crucial. "I hope we can take a step forward in free practice two but, already being able to go straight into the Q2, gives me an important chance to make a good qualifying."
This Friday, he focused mainly on putting in the miles: "I didn't concentrate that much on the set-up but on collecting data and doing a lot of laps to prepare for the rest of the weekend. Tomorrow we'll have two dry bikes with different settings. That said, it was clear today that with both the sun and in wet conditions the problems were similar, and this will allow me to give feedback to Honda to make improvements."
As for the track renovation work, the rider from Cannes was satisfied. "I remember doing a good warm-up in wet conditions in 2017 or 2018, and the grip was already good, but now it's improved even more. In some areas, where it seems difficult to push, you can do it without problems, and that's because the asphalt has been redone well. I think my teammates are also happy," he said.
Finally, when asked if he would've preferred a dry afternoon, the LCR rider replied: "No, because it would've been more stressful to get into the Q2. It's better to have good weather tomorrow morning, to be able to ride calmly and improve the bike. If I would've had these conditons today, I wouldn't have been able to ride calmly, and it would've set the stage for a complicated qualification."